Structural element



Aug. 10, 1965 D. E. BLOK STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Filed April 12, 1962 FIG.2

F'IG.3

ATTORNEB United States Patent 3,199,260 STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Dirk Evert Blots, Zwiindrecht, Netherlands, assiguor to Hunter Douglas International (Quebec) Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Apr. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 187,034 Claims priority, application, Netherlands Apr. 14, 196i, 263,614 1 Claim. (Cl. 52-476) This invention relates to a structural element such as a wall, partition, panel, lining plateor such like object.

The structural element according to the invention is characterized in that it consists of a substantially rectangular frame, channel shaped in cross section, having a number of channel shaped panel elements with alcuately inturned side walls tightly fitted into the said frame, which side walls are arranged in such a way that an inturned wall of a preceding panel element in the succession grips around the inturned wall of a following panel element. A panel element of this kind can be made in a quick and easy manner. As the edges of adjacently positioned panel elements grip around each other, the frame of the structural element may be of any desired breadth and still be made up of panel elements of one and the same breadth since, if the breadth of a frame is greater than a multiple of the breadth of the number of panel elements that is needed for at least filling the entire frame, it is merely necessary to make these elements grip further over each other. It is, therefore, never necessary to cut off any portion of a panel element. Such structural elements ar particularly adapted, e.g. for balconies. They require little or no maintenance and any damaged parts thereof can easily be replaced by new parts.

A preferred embodiment of the structural element according to the invention is characterized in that the panel elements have at their ends parts that project beyond the in-turned side walls. The ends of the panel elements may be arched or bevelled, tapered, etc. This gives the advantage that these ends are able to bend when they are clamped into the borders of the frame, so that these panel elements are securely fixed in position. If structural elements executed in this way are used in the open air the panel elements will be so firmly clamped that they cannot rattle even in the strongest Wind. The shape selected for the border elements of the frame is preferably a U profile the flanges of which merge with a slight bend into the web part of the element. Another advantage of shaping the ends of the panel elements in the manner de scribed in the foregoing is that a continuous channel is thus formed in the horizontal sides of the frame through which water of condensation and rainwater can easily be drained off. This also aiiords a good means of ventilation, so that there is no tendency for insects to establish breeding places in the structural element.

According to the invention the structural element may consist entirely of parts detachably joined to each other, and two borders of the frame may be arranged in such a way, that one flange is positioned inside and one flange outside the two flanges of the adjacent border elements of the frame.

The invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which by way of example an embodiment of the structural element according to the invention is represented.

FIG. 1 shows a front elevation of the structural element according to the invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively sections taken at the lines IIl-I and lIIIll of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a rear elevation of a panel element with inturned side walls, the ends of which elements are shaped differently from each other.

ddbfihd Patented Aug. 1Q, 1965 FIG. 5 is a cross-section of a panel element with inturned side walls.

The structural element represented in the drawings has a frame consisting of two horizontal borders 1 and Z and of two vertical borders 3 and 4 which has a U profile directed inwardly toward the center of the frame. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the flanges of the border elements merge with a slight bend into the web portion of the element.

Fitted into the frame are a number of panel elements 5 whose side walls 6 are arcuately inturned. The dimensions of the int-urned side Walls 6 and the breadth of flanges of the frame border elements have been made such that the border elements fit tightly around the panel elements 5. In order to permit of clamping the panel elements 5 still more securely into the borders of the frame, the ends of these elements are shaped in such a way that they extend beyond the ends of the inturned side walls 6. This can be effected, for instance by cutting of the ends of the elements.

In FIG. 4 there is a curved part 7 extending beyond the top end of the side walls a of the panel element 5 represented in these drawings, whilst the projecting part 3 extending beyond the bottom end of the side walls s tapered. It goes without saying that these projecting parts may also be of other shapes, and both of the two ends may have a projecting part shaped in the same way. When these projecting end portions 8 come into contact with the flanges of the border elements they will be bent slightly, as a result of which the panel elements 5 will be so securely clamped that they cannot rat-tie.

Owing to the fact that the panel elements 5 are mounted so as to open alternately the above-mentioned shape of the ends of these elements 5 results in the formation in border elements 1 and 2 of a continuous channel d through which water of condensation and rainwater can easily be drained off. It is therefore merely necessary to provide an outlet aperture ill in the bottom border element 1 for the discharge of water of condensation and rainwater.

The structural element represented may be made up en tirely of detachable borders 14 and panel elements 5, as the tight fitting of elements 5 into the borders renders the use of connecting members superfluous. Therefore, in

i the event of panel elements 5 becoming damaged they can easily be replaced by new ones.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, one flange of border elements 3 and 4 is clamped bet-ween one flange of border 1 and the first and last metal panel 5 whilst the other flange of these borders 3 and 4 in contact with the outer side of border element 1. Holes 11 may be provided in the borders in order to permit of their being fixed to a support.

The panel elements 5 can always be slid over each other to such an extent as to fill the entire space between borders 3 and 4.

It is evident that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described in the foregoing and represented in the drawings. By way of alternative the frame may have, for instance, a profile other than the U-shaped one. Then again, the side walls 6 of the panel elements 5 may be differently shaped. These elements may be made of painted aluminium or other metal, or of plastic or other suitable material.

I claim:

A structural element such as a wall, comprising border elements forming a substantially rectangular frame, said border elements being channel shaped in cross section with the flanges of the channel directed inwardly toward the center of said frame, a plurality of resilient, channel shaped panel elements Within said frame, said panel elements having a planar base surface and arcuately int-urned side Walls, said panel elements being in overlapped, sideby-side arrangement within the frame with adjacent panel elements opening in alternate directions with the inturned side walls being in interengaging relationship, at lea-st one end of each said panel element having a portion of the base surface extending beyond the termination of said inturned side walls, said portion tapering towards its free end, the two opposite sides of said frame which engage the ends of said panel elements being spaced apart a dis tanee less than the total length of said panel elements in 10 :an unstressed condition, said extending portion being resiliently bent in compression into engagement with said two opposite sides of said frame, said intu-rned side walls of said panel elements being of such a height that said panel elements are fixedly clamped between the flanges of said border element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., JACOB L. NACKENOFF,

Examiners. 

